


Concrete Angel

by TessaHerondale82



Category: Sweet Magnolias (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24732763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TessaHerondale82/pseuds/TessaHerondale82
Summary: Hi everyone! I was rewatching some TVD scenes some days ago and I remembered a Steroline scene that I loved very much at that time (even if I was and always will be a Stelena shipper). It's from ep. 6x07. I loved the exchange between Stefan and Caroline and I thought that it suited Annie and Tyler perfectly. I also wanted to write a sweet, romantic story but I ended up giving in to angst. I hope you'll like it anyway. The title of the story refers to the song you can hear in the background of the scene.
Relationships: Annie Sullivan/Tyler Townsend
Comments: 4
Kudos: 40





	Concrete Angel

For a month now, Tyler Townsend could be considered a permanent guest at Dana Sue's restaurant since his parents were at the hospital taking care of Kyle for most of the day. His sister was with his grandma, so he chose to take care of himself without weighing down on her. That meant eating at Dana's once or twice a day.

He was sitting at the counter eating his dinner when Annie walked inside. She looked around and she met his gaze. They both silently nodded to each other and she rapidly went for her apron.

“Where have you been, miss?”

That was Dana Sue, coming from the kitchen.

“Home. As I told you a few hours ago.” Annie's answer was bitter and sharp. 

“You know you have to be here by six.”

“I was studying!” Annie was almost yelling now.

“I don't care. Even if someone was crowning you queen, it wouldn't matter. You have to be here at six. These are the rules.”

“Well, the rules are ridiculous!”

Dana Sue looked at her daughter in the eyes one last time and rushed back to the kitchen.  
Since Kyle's accident, Dana's rules had become even more strict. Annie knew that her mother had died of fear that night and that everything she did it was because she loved her but Annie felt like suffocating.

Annie snorted and went to wash the glasses behind the counter. She was well aware of Tyler's presence but she pretended not to notice him.

“Bad day?” he asked.

“Bad month.” She replied without looking at him.

“I'm sorry”

“For what?” she asked, stopping from washing the glasses and looking curiously at him.

“For this situation.”

It's not your fault. Neither it's Kyle's. My mom will relax at some point ... Eventually.”

He smiled. One of those smile she loved so much. He ate his dinner but stuck around the restaurant talking with people who came inside to eat.

Around ten p.m. the restaurant was empty. Dana Sue had left an hour earlier to meet with Maddie and Helen and the kitchen workers had left one by one as soon as they finished their work. Annie had to finish cleaning her tables before going home. Those were Dana's instructions.

She realized then that she was alone with Tyler. He was sitting at an empty table looking at his phone. What was he still doing there? Was he checking on her?  
“I know what you're doing.” She said cleaning a table.

“Uhm...what?” he asked raising his eyes from his phone.

“You can go home. I can handle myself.”

“I know,” he answered. “But I want to help you.”

“You don't have to,” she answered smiling shyly trying not to blush.

“No, I don't have to. But I want to.”

Annie nodded, silently thanking him. They started to work. Tyler cleaned the tables and Annie loaded the dishwasher behind the counter.

“Ehi, do you remember when we decided to wash our toys and we put them in the dishwasher?” Tyler was smiling big. He remembered that it had been his idea, that Annie had approved it while Kyle was afraid of being caught.

Annie stopped doing what she was doing and burst out laughing. She had tears in her eyes.  
“Helen's dishwasher imploded”, she added, still laughing. 

“Do you remember our mothers' faces?”

“They were so mad. And so embarrassed.” she replied leaning on the counter, her arm very near to his. “I miss those times,” she said looking him in the eyes, “things were...”

“Easier.” Said he, before she could finish her sentence. They smiled. Annie felt some kind of electricity between them, she saw how close they were. She didn't want to make the same mistake again so she stepped back going back to her work. 

She was blushing for what she had felt but she was grateful that he couldn't see her because he had her back now. He was still sitting at the counter but neither of them dared to speak for a few minutes.

“Did you really have a thing for me?”

Annie froze right where she was. She didn't dare to turn around and face him. “ I thought we both agree to never speak again about what happened.

“Annie, please talk to me. Tell me why, tell me when did you realize it. Please just make me understand how is it that I missed it.

“Are you for real?” she asked suddenly facing him. 

“Yeah. I am.”

She took a few seconds to collect her thoughts. She couldn't believe that Ty would want to talk about what happened between them after everything that happened.  
She leaned against the sink, arms crossed. “Did I have a thing for you?! Yes. Yes, I did.”She looked at him right in the eyes. “Happy?” She gave him her back again.

“Why?”

“What kind of question is that?” She couldn't believe her ears. She was disappointed and hurt by his words. Hurt, mostly. She took off her apron and she was about to leave him right where he was but Tyler stopped her by grabbing her arm. They were very close. She took a look at his hand around her arm. She could feel the heat of his touch. He did too. She could tell it by the look on his face. He hesitantly loosened the grip.

“I had a thing for you because I thought you worth having a thing for. Because you were practically my best friend, the only one who understood me and caught my jokes. The person who has never judged me for wanting to escape Serenity at some point in my life. Because you are kind and caring. Because I trusted you.”

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not seeing it. I'm sorry for not...”

“Feeling it back?”

“No. I didn't say that.” He looked sad. “I...I don't know what I felt. You know, my head was all over the place. That kiss took me by surprise...but I am incredibly sorry for the way that things went.”

Annie looked sad and tired. Everything she wanted in that moment was to end that conversation. “I can't guess what you felt. What I know, for sure, is that if a little tiny piece of you felt for me what I was starting to feel for you, you wouldn't have walked away. You would have talked to me. You wouldn't have turned to Cece.”

“Annie, I...”

“No, I understand...and I accept your apology”. She took one last glance at him and turned to leave.

“But you're angry with me.” 

She stopped with her hand on the door handle. She sensed him getting closer. She turned and he was standing right in front of her.

“Yes. Yeah, I'm angry with you, because if I'm not angry with you for ruining our friendship, then I have to be angry with me for ruining it, and after everything that happened, I think I deserve better than that.”

She left him there. Walking towards home she felt like she had shaken off everything that had been left unsaid between them for too much time. She only wished she had the courage to tell him that she still had a thing for him. Tyler Townsend was everything but in her past, but this time, it was up to him to make his move.


End file.
